Making Ends Meet

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 6, 30 September 1937, Page 6

Making Ends Meet

"SPEAK AS YOU F1ND."

Sir,— Replying to "Cheerful Tax* paper," I notice that the blame for heavy taxation, depression; etc., is pjut on to tho Opposition, or previous Government, and as I am a skilled worker who helped to obtain the Labour Government, I think it is reasohable to at least speak f rom my ow'n esperience. We can and do, admit that the taxation was high when ForBes-Coates Government were in power j but your correspondent forgets that thousanda voted Labour on an assurance of taking off these taxes. Anyone with a household, run on a fine limit, is certainly • not receiving wages xelative to the riso in the cost of living. We xan a lorne on a minimum basis, but now comparing prices, that is impossible. "Cheerful Taxpayer" may think they are, or were, cutting things fine; but our family consists, or did congist, of leu persons, and we'were nearly aiwaya hard hp; dlso, no-one would or could teaeh us the art of eeonomy, as we experienced poverty fdr too long. I was definitely less poor under the old rule. Furthermore, when a labourer can earn 2/4 an hour, I would not relish having boys spending many years at a trade just to earn a few pence an hour more. As far as big companies making ex* cessive profits at the expense oi workers, we know this is unfair, but the way things are going; why struggle for many years in the hope of independence just to pay it in tax, while hundreds receive sustenance whb have no right whatever to samef I have been as hard up as anyone, but did not broadcast it or collect sustenance, whieh is evidently what is considered right. On penning these few lines I beav "Cheerful Taxpayer" no ill-willt but as he or she has spoken as they have found it is only fair for me to do likewise. ' I doubt if there is any household commodity that has not taken • rise, and my pounds do not bridge the gap.— Yours, etc.,

Sept. 28, 1937.